


Knights' Gambit

by Darthanne



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, M/M, Post-Canon, Wordcount: Over 1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-26
Updated: 2010-09-26
Packaged: 2017-10-12 05:47:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darthanne/pseuds/Darthanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Duo and Quatre plan their next move during a game of chess</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knights' Gambit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sharon](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sharon).



> Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the characters in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction.

Draining the last of his beer, Quatre put his bottle down on the table and studied the board in front of him. "Interesting strategy," he commented thoughtfully, his mind already working through different outcome scenarios as he planned his next move.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Duo stood, stretching. "Want another beer?"

"Sure," Quatre said absently, moving his pawn to protect the knight that Duo's bishop had threatened. "Thanks," he added, leaning back in his chair. "It was meant as one."

"What was?" Duo already had the fridge open, getting them both another beer.

"The comment I made about strategy." Quatre helped himself to another handful of nuts. "It was a compliment."

"Yeah I know." Duo turned around to grin at his friend before peering back into the fridge. "Pizza's all gone. There's left over Chinese though if you're still hungry."

"I'm fine but have it if you want." Quatre returned his attention to the chess board. It wasn't the first game that he and Duo had played; the last one had been an interesting battle of wits too. Although they each approached the game with a very different playing style both were equally effective. It made it an even match, their individual strategies reflective of those they'd used on the battlefield when they'd piloted their gundams.

Duo placed the two bottles on the table and settled himself back into the chair opposite Quatre. "Nah," he said, "I'll wait." He helped himself to some nuts then took a swig of beer. "Not really hungry. I'll heat it up later if I change my mind."

Nodding, Quatre watched Duo study the board, finished his own nuts and followed them with a mouthful of beer. He wasn't surprised when Duo made his move, his attention still on Quatre's knight. They were only half way through the game, each of them testing the other and their reactions to the moves that were made.

"So," Duo reminded Quatre, "what about the other business at hand?" He grinned, letting a minute burp escape his lips, and wiped his hand across his mouth. "Those two are going to take way more strategy than a chess game."

"They're both stubborn, "Quatre agreed. He moved his knight out of harm's way. "Check."

"Almost as stubborn as you and Tro."

Quatre looked up indignantly. "I am not /that/ stubborn," he protested.

"Yeah you are." Duo smirked. "Especially when it's about something or someone you feel strongly about."

Quatre mumbled a not very clear response. He didn't want to go down that road, especially when he knew that Duo was right. It still grated at him at times knowing that if he'd just got past his fear that his feelings for Trowa were not mutual they wouldn't have wasted all those years they could have been together. It was one of the reasons that he and Duo had decided to do something about this current situation. He just hoped that the answer to getting their friends together wouldn't be as drastic as it had been for himself and Trowa.

Moving his king, Duo's tone softened. He'd always been good at picking up on Quatre's train of thought and change of mood. "Hey, we all are about the stuff that really matters." He shrugged. "It's more important to look forward and focus on what you have now. That's what Heero and I try to do." He squeezed Quatre's hand. "Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I let you get all melancholy."

"You're a very good friend, Duo." Quatre squeezed Duo's hand in return and couldn't help but smile before letting it go. "You always have been." He cleared his throat, drinking more of his beer. "So," he continued slowly, "I've been thinking about Wufei and Relena and I have an idea."

"I thought you might." Duo nodded towards the chess board. "I figured you're already planning how to put the pieces in the right place so that the game unfolds the way it needs to."

"Quite literally in fact." Quatre moved his rook and took one of Duo's knights off the board. "Both Wufei and Relena enjoy a decent game of chess. It's past time they played each other."

"They won't agree to that," Duo pointed out, frowning at the move Quatre had just made. "Meeting like that would make it impossible for them to keep dancing around each other." He moved his pawn, an innocuous seeming move, but Quatre wasn't fooled for an instant.

"Mate in seven." Quatre raised an eyebrow, moving on of his own pawns. "Ten minutes in close proximity with no way out is all I figure it would take."

"Eight but who's counting." Duo smirked. "You're being generous. It only took you and Tro five."

Quatre blushed. "Wufei's more of a gentleman than I am." He paused. "And besides I was drunk. So was Trowa."

"Of course you were." Duo's innocent look didn't fool Quatre for a moment. He remembered all too well who'd got him drunk that night.

"I doubt that approach is going to work with either Wufei or Relena." He moved the conversation on quickly. "However," he studied the board and raised an eyebrow at the move Duo had just made. "Locking them in a room would work just as well, especially when they discover they aren't getting away from each for a while."

"They've been dancing around each other for far too long," Duo agreed, grinning when Quatre made a countermove of his own. He retaliated quickly, his rook taking the square it needed to protect its queen.

Quatre muttered something under his breath, Duo's action having just derailed his next plan of attack. That was how these games often went. They knew how the other thought and reacted all too well, using that knowledge to keep each other off balance. He slid his own queen across the board, removing Duo's rook in the process.

"It's a big thing making that kind of move when you're not sure how the other person feels." It was a situation he could relate to as could Duo.

"Yeah, so I figure we help them along especially as it's obvious as hell they're in love with each other." Duo's eyes narrowed as he worked out the next stage of his attack.

"They're the only ones that haven't worked it out yet." Quatre had heard shortly after he and Trowa had got together that the entire accounts department at WEI had a betting pool going on as to who would make the first move and how long it would take them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, no one else knew the specifics of what had gone on behind that particular closed door and neither he nor Trowa were admitting anything so the money in the finish was donated to the society WEI had set up to help war orphans.

"After next Wednesday they will have." Duo grinned, moving his remaining knight. "Check."

Quatre peered at the board, frowning. "Wufei will be expecting to meet me here for our weekly chess game and instead he'll be playing Relena." By the time they worked out what was happening it will be too late. "Relena is due to meet with Trowa and me for supper next week. Wednesday will also work perfectly for that especially if there's a misunderstanding about the time." He looked up at Duo and matched his grin. "Of course you and Heero are invited for supper too if you'd like."

"I wouldn't miss it." Duo indicated the board. "Problem, Q?"

"Anyone who thinks that you haven't any strategy skills is an idiot." Quatre laid his king down on the board, indicating his defeat. He'd never underestimated Duo. "Check and mate." He stood up and stretched. "Two out of three?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Duo glanced at his watch. Heero and Trowa wouldn't be done for at least another hour. "One game each. The next one will be the decider." He stood and Quatre followed him out to the kitchen. "I'll heat up the leftovers if you put on the coffee."

Quatre was already getting the cups down. He came around often enough to know where things were kept. "I'll think better with something more solid in my stomach and a decent brew of coffee."

The outcome of this last game could go either way and they both knew it. "So will I, Q." Duo laughed. "So will I."


End file.
